RAINBOW VALLEY TRAIL The Rainbow Valley Trail is located in Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, AZ -- south of the I-10 between Buckeye and Tolleson. There are over 33 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Trails range in length and difficulty making this park a great choice for nearly everyone.
LOOP Mileage: The path described and shown here is a loop totaling just under 9 miles. The path we chose to follow took us the length of Rainbow Valley (3.5
miles), transferred us to Toothaker for 1.6 miles, east on Pederson for 0.4 miles, father east on Gadsden trail for .7 miles and back to the rodeo ground on Butterfield for 2.4 miles. This topped us out at 8.6 miles total and took us 4 hours at a steady pace. You have the option at many points to make your loop shorter. Be sure to study the map linked to here to determine your route. Maricopa.gov Park Map
Elevation gain: ~440 feet. You will experience some ups and downs throughout the trail but the steepest ascent seemed to be within the first 3 miles.
Top Elevation: ~1500 feet
Experience Needed: This is fairly beginner hike. Great introduction to desert hiking.
Difficulty
: Moderate. Distance is the player in the difficulty. A Sun Lakes Hiking Club Meetup group rated the hike a C. I don’t know if that’s based on difficulty or on enjoyment factors. I enjoyed this hike. The toughest section is within the first 4 miles as you give your heart a steady pump as you ascend to an overlook. The descent of this first small peak has a bit of a loose rock sketchiness to it, just enough to make you feel like the trip is worth it. After that you head into the desert and have a long stretch of trail where you really get the feeling you’re not in the city anymore. Desert is to all sides of you, saguaros rise from the dust. You think back to the Peanuts cartoons of Snoopy’s cousin Spike and really feel like he may have roots in the nearby cacti. This would be a good warm-up hike for something longer if you bring out a packed up backpack and hit the 9 mile loop. 
Parking: Day Use Parking is $6 per car. Plenty of parking is available. For the hike described here you should park at the Rodeo Arena – the farthest parking point south in the Park. The parking lot closest to the Rainbow Valley trailhead is behind the Arena bleachers past the horse staging area.
Pets: Horses are allowed on designated trails. Dogs are allowed on the trails but must be on a 6 foot leash.
People Meter: We saw zero people on the hiking trail but did see people leaving the parking lot as we arrived and arriving at the lot as we left.
Safety: Due to the relative solitude of the hike, I recommend you bring your cell phone, plenty of water, a headlamp or flashlight just in case you get caught after dark. In addition, animals may be more likely to cross your path if they don’t sense a stampede of people. A first aid kit may be a good idea. Be sure to yield to horse traffic if you encounter them. These trails also seem ripe for mountain biking so be on the lookout even if it appears sparse.
My experiences: My first visit to the park was in January 2011. I based my trail information off of what I found on the county website as well as what was written in the book 60 Hikes in 60 Miles.
The Saguaros in this park are amazing. One very rare cactus stands to the right of the trail just over halfway through the hike.
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